Qianjiang style vase

[GerryG]

Hi,

I recently acquired this vase which measures just under 18 inches in height. It has a poetic inscription on it's side which I hope contains a cyclical date mark and it also has a worn iron red four character mark contained in a single frame applied to the base. Any comments on age, artist etc would be most gratefully received. regards, Gerry

[Stan]

Hi Gerry, I think that this is a later made vase, the faces are drawn with black lines, the earlier ones, late Qing or early republic, the faces would be drawn in red lines, also the mark is not centered, so i think 2nd half of the 20th century or later.

[Hmm]

The mark on the base looks to be a ?? factory mark.  According to this webpage, the factory was locted in Tangshan, Hebei during the Republic period. 

www.koh-antique.com/tangshan%20ceramics/tangshan%20ceramics.htm

[GerryG]

Hi Stan, thanks for your reply and input. I hear what you're saying though whilst a lot of more modern porcelain painting would see faces outlined in black some older pieces, early 20th century, late qing and specifically qianjiang would also have faces outlined in black. I would agree using this method of identifying a kangxi, yongzheng or qianlong piece where faces are always outlined in red/brown. I think the vase I have is around 1920-1930 and a republic era vase. The site Hmm suggested at Koh antiques is excellent and very informative about qianjiang and republic porcelain. I think the link he has provided shows my vase more than likely comes from this factory, so thanks for that link. I will continue to do some more research. Thanks again for everyone's comments. Gerry

[Stan]

I will have to admit that the vase looks very convincing to be first half of the 20th century but I am not sure if they would have put the mark off center in that period, as far as I know, they still held onto tradition in the early 20th century and the mark would have been more centered, I have vases like this my self, some with red drawn faces and some with black drawn faces, I was told that the ones with the black was later, I hope you are right.